The worst thing about being a movie star

FOR most "normal" people, being a movie star looks like a dream job, but Hollywood veteran Tom Hanks has opened up about the major downside.

"A press junket for a motion picture is the most opprobrious thing that human beings have ever been put through. It is merciless," the actor, 61, said during a TimesTalks Q & A. "It is a level or corporate branding strategy to the degree of hackery and they honestly think you have the stamina of an ox to drag this piece of s**t movie across international datelines."

He continued, "It goes on forever until truly you cannot fathom words that are coming out of your mouth."

Hanks recalled a time when he woke up in a hotel suite while promoting a film and he was calling for his wife, Rita Wilson - until he realised he "hadn't been with her in a week and a half."

Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson are both in the movie business. Picture: AP

"All I knew is that hair and makeup was coming at 8:15," he recalls. "I had no idea which city I was in. You lose it after a while."

As for how other celebrities feel about press junkets, Hanks said, "When you see a movie star talking about their film, understand they hate themselves. The motion picture they made is a blur in the background. Even when they see it, they don't remember any of it."

This story originally appeared in NY Post and is republished here with permission.